Customers who are part of a loyalty program make more purchases
PUNCH CARDS
Karen also uses the Nine & One loyalty rewards program , which is a punch card system created by DaySpring to help retailers increase greeting card sales and attract repeat customers . Customers bring in their reward cards and receive a hole punch on their card for every DaySpring card they purchase . After they buy nine cards , they get the tenth card for free . DaySpring provides retailers with a promotional kit that includes signage and a package of 200 cards . Likewise , retailers can easily create and print their own business cards for repeat purchases based on specific store items or dollar amounts , such as spend $ 8 ( or more ) 9 times and get 10 % off your next purchase .
Customers who are part of a loyalty program make more purchases
PURCHASES
Charlene Wiggs , owner of On the Third Day-Master ’ s Mercantile in Pottstown , PA , uses a purchase-based loyalty program that they call the Frequent Buyer Program . “ We started it as a way to reward our loyal customers and to get them to come back within a month ,” Charlene says .
When a customer comes in six times , a coupon is printed from the receipt printer . But rather than handing customers another piece of paper that looks like a receipt , store employees keep pre-printed card stock certificates by the register . They give these to customers after filling in their name and the expiration date .
While this program rewards the number of purchases , it also encourages the amount of the purchases . The amount customers spend during their six visits determines the amount they earn . Customers who spend at least $ 150 over six visits get $ 10 . Customers who spend $ 100 or more get $ 7 . And customers who spend under $ 100 get $ 5 .
“ We have a lot of card buyers and less expensive item purchasers , so doing the tiered amounts works for the store and makes sure that they get something too ,” Charlene says .
Tami Sarver of The Galilean in Leesville , LA , has a loyalty rewards program called the Alabaster Box , similar to the 6-Box Program . Each customer fills out a pink card with their information , which Tami says is a good way to get addresses and emails when customers are hesitant to give it to you otherwise . The store keeps the card on file , and after six purchases they total the card and give them an Alabaster gift card , which is different than their regular gift card , for 10 % of the purchases .
Ann Kardos of Logos Bookstore of Kent also uses a variation of the 6-Box Program that they call Bookstore Buddy . The cards are kept in an old-style card catalog for customers to pull their own card out of the file drawer . Ann says , “ That action alone helps them realize they are a part of our store , and all the other cards are people who share something in common with them . They are friends — bookstore buddies .”
No matter what you call it , a loyalty program is a great way to say , “ We love our customers .” CRA
10 CRA today / www . christianretailassociation . org